Jake Scott, Bill Stanfill named to Dolphin Honor Roll

No-Name Defense stars to be inducted Nov. 18

After nearly three and a half decades of estrangement from the Dolphins organization, five-time Pro Bowl safety Jake Scott is going to be properly honored.

Scott was named to the Dolphin Honor Roll on Thursday along with another former great from the No-Name Defense, defensive end Bill Stanfill. Those two close friends and former college roommates attended the Dolphins awards dinner at Turnberry Isle.

"It's only fitting that Jake and Bill are going in together — two Georgia teammates and good friends," Hall of Fame coach Don Shula said in a statement. "They had great careers with the Dolphins, and I'm glad they are being honored on the same day."

The pair will be inducted at halftime of the Nov. 18 Thursday night home game against the Bears. For Scott, it will be the first time he's attended a Dolphins home game since the 1980s, when he and former Redskins quarterback Billy Kilmer watched Dan Marino at Sun Life Stadium.

Voting is determined by the five-man Honor Roll committee, which is comprised of the only three players with retired jerseys in franchise history — Bob Griese, Larry Csonka and Marino — as well as Shula and Nat Moore.

That committee then makes a recommendation to Dolphins owner Steve Ross, who must give final approval.

Ross met with Scott and Stanfill last September in Atlanta, where the Dolphins opened the regular season and where Scott's ailing mother lives. It was at that time the Honor Roll was first discussed with the defensive stalwarts.

It was Moore, Scott said, who helped turn the tide in his long-running feud with Shula during a visit at the Pro Bowl in February 2009. A little over a year later, Scott, who lives in Hawaii, reunited with Shula at a memorabilia show on the East Coast.

The two old foils hugged at that March event, and Thursday they were together again.

"It was just good to see him," Scott said of Shula. "I've never really been that mad at coach Shula. I think he's been madder at me than I've been at him. It was just great to see him, and it brought back a lot of good memories — and some bad ones too."

With that, Scott let out another big laugh and Stanfill joined in. It was that kind of night for the gray-haired teammates, who first roomed together at Georgia in 1965.

A seventh-round pick in 1970, Scott was MVP of Super Bowl VII, when he made two interceptions. Scott, 64, remains the career franchise leader with 35 interceptions.

Scott had the last of his many disagreements with Shula in the 1976 preseason, and a trade to Washington quickly followed.

Stanfill, 63, was drafted 11th overall in 1969. In eight seasons with the Dolphins, he totaled 67 1/2 career sacks before that became an official statistic. A serious neck injury ended Stanfill's career.

"If you look back on the No-Names, none of us had extended careers," he said. "But what a run we had and what great memories."

Scott and Stanfill give the Dolphin Honor Roll an even 20 members. Of those, half played for the 1972 Perfect Season team, while that team was inducted as a whole in 1992.

Doug Betters and Bob Baumhower were the last two honored in 2008.

Earlier Thursday, Ricky Williams was announced as the 2009 Dolphins Most Valuable Player. Williams, who had his first 1,000-yard season in six years, won in combined voting by his teammates and South Florida football writers.

Williams also won the award in 2002.

Safety Yeremiah Bell and departed linebacker Jason Taylor, now with the Jets, were named co-winners of the Don Shula Leadership Award. Fullback Lousaka Polite won the Nat Moore Community Service Award.